TWD: Cran-Apple Crisp

One of my favorite desserts is the crisp. Peach, apple, any sort of berry...you name it, I'll probably like it. My favorite favorite is the apple crisp. Warm juicy tender apples are just about one of the best things to eat in my opinion. Top it with a little oat crumble and it's even better. Not to mention that an apple crisp is a perfect dessert to make during the fall or winter.

After taking a short break from Tuesdays with Dorie, I was delighted to find that Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef had selected Cran-Apple Crisps for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie recipe (if you see different ones at TWD blogs don't worry, because of the holiday this month in the US, we can make the recipes out of order if we need/want to). This recipe looked like a quick and easy dessert that I could put together without much thought.

Add more than this. Mine shrunk quite a bit.

I did not have any fresh or frozen cranberries and it was apparently too early for my grocery store to have any in stock so I just used dried. They plumped up nicely from all of the apple juices and were perfectly tart. To the crust I added a touch more cinnamon and ginger. I tend to find most crusts on the bland side so I decided to up the flavor just a bit.

Because I didn't want a large amount leftover and also because my mother persists in pointing out that my culinary endeavors have resulted in a slight thickening of various body parts (Thanks Mom!), I made an 1/8 of a recipe which equaled 2 - 1/2 cup servings.  Actually, these were quite perfect serving sizes for me.  Not too much but you didn't feel like you were getting shorted any goodness.

Charlie was quite pleased with the crisp too! oh...and don't tell my mom I added a little scoop of ice cream!

This was an absolutely delicious crisp. Simple but very comforting in its flavors. I loved the slight nuttiness that the coconut gave to the crust. I haven't come across many crisps that had coconut as an ingredient but after this one, I may be tempted to add it more often. The extra spices I added to the crust really made it pop. A little less and it would have been bland and disappointing. I am so glad I followed my gut and added them in! I would love to try this with pear next time. I think the pear would hold up well with the cinnamon and ginger and be a very tasty crisp. I'd also like to give the fresh cranberries a go as well. Next time I'm at Sam's I'll pick up a few bags to freeze!

Thanks to Em for the great recipe choice this week! You can find the recipe on her blog or on page 422 in Baking. For more crisps (or one of the other monthly recipes) check out the TWD blogroll!